The book is structured into three parts that trace the boat's journey from functional tool to modern craft:

John Gardner, often called the spent his career at the Mystic Seaport Museum documenting these designs before they could be lost to history. In this book, he combines:

Looking for a copy of the "boatbuilder's bible"? John Gardner's The Dory Book

Whether you are a seasoned shipwright or a dreamer looking to build your first rowing boat, John Gardner's The Dory Book is an essential addition to your library. It is a testament to functional beauty and a practical guide to reclaiming a piece of maritime history.

His publisher, Alfred A. Knopf, famously rejected the original manuscript. They found it too erratic, too angry, and too full of bizarre, violent examples. Gardner, ever the perfectionist, re-wrote the entire thing into the cleaner, more structured The Art of Fiction (1983), which became a classic.

Gardner traces the dory from its origins in the European fishing grounds to its perfection on the Grand Banks.